Bids opened for Route 72 work

Tuesday

Feb 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Paul Hackbarth

Bids from four contractors were opened Friday for a project to resurface more than seven miles of State Route 72 in the Rolla city limits and to the east.

When specifications for the project were advertised, companies were asked to submit a base bid for work to resurface the 7.352-mile section of highway between U.S. Route 63 east to County Road 5220, along with some work to bring sidewalks, curbs and ramps into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and two new pedestrian crossings at U.S. Route 63 and State Route 72.

Additionally, companies were asked to submit an alternate bid for additional sidewalk and ramp work.

APAC-Missouri, Inc., the apparent low bidder on the project, submitted a base bid of $2,212,792.92. The company’s alternate bid of $169,321.65, added to the base bid totals $2,382,114.57.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) central office is reviewing the bids and will make a recommendation to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, which is expected to award a contract at its March 6 meeting.

Preston Kramer, MoDOT area engineer, said the alternate bid could be awarded if there are enough funds available.

On Route 72 west of Route O, there will be some milling work to remove part of the existing highway and crews will fill it back in with new pavement. East of Route O will be primarily an overlay project, with brand new pavement put down over the existing pavement.

Deficiencies in the pavement also will be addressed, Kramer said.

According to Kramer, the resurfacing work is tentatively planned for July. Kramer said once the contractor starts work, its crews will need to finish and not be able to stop and move onto another project.

Another part of the project is to make the sidewalks, ramps and intersections ADA-compliant along the section of Route 72.

“It’s a step toward that process,” Kramer said. “There is not enough money in this project to get 100 percent ADA-compliant sidewalks on 72.”

He noted that most of the sidewalks along that stretch are not ADA-compliant. “Right now, we have in the plans to address the worst areas,” he said.

There are sidewalks along both sides of Route 72 west of Highway O for the most part and some sidewalks on the north side of Route 72 east of Route O with a few exceptions, Kramer said.

The alternate bid to do additional sidewalk work will not bring all of the sidewalks into ADA-compliance, but Kramer said, “we might be able to get more work done for the same price because of the competitive bidding environment.”

Included in the base bid is to add a pedestrian crosswalk on the south and east sides of the intersection of Routes 63 and 72. Kramer noted that currently, sidewalks come up to three sides of the intersection, but there is no safe way for pedestrians to cross the intersection.

The state commission approved the resurfacing project in the 2013-17 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) in July 2012.

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